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1. I am a child of adoption who is researching my biological father's family, the Odells, (thanks to a typo at Ellis Island, the name is incorrectly spelled "O'Dell" here in the states), and it was suggested I address my questions to this forum regarding my family's cabin aboard from South Hampton to Queenstown. I am interested in any new info that I can glean the wealth of knowledge here.

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2. I have a picture of a boy on a deck, im not sure if it's a boy or a man,his name is Jan Odell, or so the picture's name is. I haven't seen his name before, and I don't seem to find anything about him. Has anyone heard or read about him?

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3. Actually, it's 11 year old Jack Odell and if I'm not mistaken, he's the young lad who was caught by Fr. Brown's camera spinning a top out on deck. Fortunately for him and the rest of his family, they got off the ship in Queenstown. What little there is on him can be found at

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4. The boy spinning the top was Douglas Spedden. Jack Odell is the lad with the camera in a photo that I recall. I think it's in Titanic: An Illustrated History. He's also on page 99 of Father Browne's Titanic Album.

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5. >>The boy spinning the top was Douglas Spedden.

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6. Here's a query. While googling for photos of Jack Odell, I found plenty of an older man of the same name. He was the technical expert behind Matchbox toy cars. Could he be the the lad from Titanic? His age would be about right for him to be an expert in making model cars in the 1950s. I do know Odell lived to a great age but I don't have details.

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7. The Jack Odell connected with Matchbox Toys (and the founder in the 1980s of his own company Lledo Toys) was certainly active within the last couple of years, and not looking like the oldest man in the world! :-) Jack Odell the toymaker was in fact born in 1920.

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8. Thanks for that, Bob. It was just the long arm of coincidence.

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9. A possible link to the ODell family?

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10. Hi, I just checked my copy of 'The Last Days of Titanic' which has the Odell photos and photo credit is only given to "The Father Browne SJ Collection." Perhaps check with the Irish Jesuits? HTH, Kathleen

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11. Jack Dudley Odell looks cute in the picture of him and his family on the boat deck!

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12. I have three or so signed large pics of Jack Odell on my website. Check it out under the "Pictures & Autographs" section and see if they match yours.

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13. I am trying to dig into my family's past and find out about the Odell family. My name is actually John Atkinson, yet my original surname was Odell but after my mother divorced her old husband and remarried into the Atkinson family, my name was changed to Atkinson. I know when the Odell's arrived at Ellis Island, there was a mix up and the name was spelt O'Dell instead of the right way. I was told about Lily Odell who was a wife of a fish merchant from London. Her brothers Richard and Stanley accompanied her on the voyage as well as her sister-in-law, Kate. Jack Odell told relatively little about the voyage as he could not remember but I would love to know more about the family and if anyone knows which cabin they occupied. Thanks!

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14. I would go through the back issues of THS and I believe there is a story on them

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15. Thanks. I'll check that out.

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